Pain and Rust
by SuperAverageFoxyboy
Summary: First Fanfic Ever... 40 years prior to the events of the night howler incident that plagued the city of Zootopia; hatred runs through the streets as predator and prey are unable to settle their differences. One fox must brave the storm and decide what he stands for.
1. Prologue

Zootopia, a place where predators and prey are able to coexist without any tensions or fear; a grand city where anyone can be anything; or at least that's what they tell you. The reality is much, much different than what you may or may not expect. No, this isn't a city where predator and prey just hold hands and sing kumbaya, it's a city where predator and prey are constantly at each other's throats. And when prey dominates the city populace 9 to 1, serious problems arise.

You see, prey have always had a natural fear of predators since the dawn of time. It's just in their DNA one could say. But the problem is that fear eventually turns to anger, and anger eventually leads to hate.

This level of hatred can vary from species to species, and because of all of the existing predator stereotypes, the ones who seem to get the bulk of this hate are those of the canid kind. I for one am a russet colored fox.

My name is John Wilde. I am a 19-year-old fox male living off the streets of Zootopia.

My parents weren't the best in the bunch. My father was a bum and couldn't even be called a proper father. He was a lazy slouch who did absolutely nothing for our family. My mother, she dealt with drugs in order to make money for us, and we lived in a shithole apartment for a while. At least until everything came crashing down on us.

The complex(if you could even call it that) was burned to the ground by prey rioting on our side of Happytown. A demonstration of fear and hate never before seen in the city. We lost everything. Our belongings, our home, and any shred of pride that could have existed between us. Soon after that, our lives dwindled into practically nothing.

We could hardly do anything to support ourselves. It was tough. Eventually, my father drank himself to death, and only a week later, my mother disappeared from a drug deal she was making. I must have been about 14 at the time.

Life was even more difficult for me after that. But even through all of this, I found a way to thrive. I found a way to survive.

Making quick hussles here and there helped me learn how to make a quick buck. It was through this that I soon began to meet more kids that I could trust. I started to gain some genuine friends.

We became a family. Helping each other out when help was needed. Supporting each other through a city that doesn't even want us.

Life has been going on like this for 5 years now. I've hit many low points throughout all if this, but I always pull through. Everything feels routine and easy now.

But things won't be able to stay like this forever. It's around this time that the real struggle, one that will define what this city will become, between predator and prey begins.

Everything is about to change.


	2. Chapter 1

First Fanfic whoo!!!

Been debating with myself for a while now on whether or not this is something I actually wanted to do or not. I've read so many great stories and I just felt like maybe its time to introduce one of my own.

I've attempted to write my own fanfic before but I was never really satisfied by the way that one came out.

So now, with fresh and new ideas I decided to try again, and this time I feel confident.

Before we get started I just want to thank you for taking the time to read this story.

I really hope to make something great.

(Note: this chapter has been revised (again) 11/28/18) minor grammer changes

 **Chapter 1**

Sleep probably one of the most important aspects of our lives. During this it would seem that everything just slips away; a moment where everything you have ever known simply disappears: all of your stress, all of your worries, and all of the little things that make you feel that the world is against you. Sleep can be a moment of simply feeling at peace. That's exactly how I feel right now. Sleep is my escape from all the negativity the world has to offer. Calm and at rest with nothing to distur-

"WAKEY, WAKEY!!!"

A sudden loud voice swarms my dreams as I suddenly feel ice cold water drench my fur and abruptly end my state of rest. "What the hell Mike!!!"

"It's about time ye woke up! Been sleepin for hours now. The gang just sent me to make sure ye weren't dead or somethin."

I finally focused my eyes on the messy, grey coyote. He wore a sly grin on his face as he held a now empty wash bucket in paw. "Okay, okay! Did you have to douse me in water?"

"No, but it wouldn't have been as funny otherwise."

I slowly breathed in the cold and smoggy morning air of Zootopia as I took in my surroundings. Lately, I've had to sleep under an old bridge. My old cardboard "home" disintegrated when a storm happened to pass through. It was a crappy box anyways. That was at the end of August.

"C'mon now. Let's get a move on. Try not to lag behind alright?"

We both left the old stone bridge. Currently, we were in Savannah Central of Zootopia. Sometimes we would drift from district to district; whatever it takes to keep on livin.

We soon made our way to an old and abandoned warehouse where there a few more mammals waiting for us.

"It's about time you both got here." said a white-furred female wolf. Molly is her name. With deep blue eyes to contrast her white fur which hints a grey outline along her muzzle.

"Yeah, yeah I know. sorry to keep you guys waiting." I said.

"Umm... Mike, why is John all wet?" A new voice joined in. This time coming from a young male ferret named Terry. He's the youngest one here.

"I found a wash bucket just sitting there and decide to help give ole Johnny here a shower."

"Wouldn't have expected anything less from you, Mike."

"Of course not! Just apart of my natural charm is all."

"So what exactly are we planning to do today?" I asked.

"Well, we were probably going to harass that old goat down the street first thing in the morning. But somebody just had to sleep in for once, and we decide on not to let that certain somebody miss out on all of the fun," said Terry.

"Well, I appreciate the thought, you guys."

We've all been friends for a while now. Though nobody really knows much about each other it really doesn't matter to us. We're a family. We've been looking out for each other in this crazy city.

"Say, now that we're all here, ye got any ol' news updates for us today Molly?" asked Mike

"Why do you guys always come to me for this stuff?"

"Well, you're supposed to know everything!"

"And why is that?"

"Well... It's because... your..."

"It's because I'm what?"

"It's because... nevermind?"

"Hmph..."

"So um yeah, do ye have any news for us?"

"Well yeah..."

"Spit it out then!"

Molly hesitated for a brief moment then carefully said, "Well you see... shit... this may bring down the mood a bit but, you see, last night I heard that there was a hyena that was um... murdered a few days ago..."

"Wait what? Go on..."

"Predators everywhere are supposedly blaming the prey for doing it... And some are even organizing riots."

This new revelation suddenly brought down the mood just like she said it might've.

As far as I am aware, this is the first time a predator has been murdered by a prey...

I slowly took in the sight of the four of us standing here together. What will happen next I wonder. Anyone of us could be victim to a possible attack by prey if this is true. Even more so now than ever before. I can feel my heartbeat quicken as I imagine the possibilities.

"Things definitely escalated now haven't they." I say.

"What could this mean for us specifically?" Terry asked.

"I don't know bud..." I can tell by the look on her face that Molly is beginning to regret telling us this.

Suddenly Mike's energetic voice cuts through the dark mood, "Ye know what, let's not let this new and shocking revelation bring us down yea? I say we try to do our best to ignore it and live on our lives as the best troublemakers in all of Zootopia. What do ye guys say?" He seems to be trying his best to change this somber mood though to no avail.

"This isn't just something we should ignore Mike. If prey are truly willing to kill us, then nobody is truly safe anymore." Replied Molly. "Things have continuously gotten worse and worse and now it would seem that everyone is in danger."

Mike's desperate attempts to change this sudden change of mood have proven faulty. So I try my own approach.

"Guys, I understand that this is something that we should not ignore, but I believe that Mike may actually have a good point for once. If we were to just let this event drag us down all of the time, where would that bring us? You guys are my friends and I love all of you-"

"Awww. Ye could've just asked if ye wanted some of dis sexy coyote lovin Johnny. I wouldn't have mind"

"SHUT IT MIKE!!"

"Bad time?"

"Really? He was just supporting you... Try to give him some respect. I just don't understand you at times... Please continue John."

"Thank you, Molly. Now as I was saying, You guys are my friends. You guys are my family even. I fear that if we were to dwell on this topic for too long, we would begin to drift apart, and that is the last thing that I want to happen to us. Yes, it is important to understand these new dangers presented to us, but all I'm asking is that we can at least try to focus on the more positive aspects of our lives as it is."

"I'm gonna say it, John, you may actually have a way with words. Either that or I'm just going crazy." Terry replied.

"Thanks, I guess?" I've never spoken like that before. It was, different to say the least.

"Okay then... So how about I change the subject, we really don't have much to do now. So what are we planning for today?" Terry said.

Mike's face suddenly lit up.

"I think I have another great idea! Or maybe not so great, I haven't figured it out yet. Ye see, tonight by the docks, Tundra town will be receiving a whole shipment of freshly caught tuna. I say we go over there tonight and see if we can take some for ourselves. They won't even notice some are missing with the amounts their bringing in. We could have a barbeque of sorts afterwards. Ya?"

"This is probably the craziest thing I've ever heard come out of your mouth."

Terry said. "I love it!!"

"How do you even know this?" asks Molly.

"I have some 'friends' so to speak outside here that would help me out at times..."

"Okay then... So when does it arrive exactly?"

"It should get there at around 10:00 tonight."

"Well... We've done crazier shit before." I tell them, remembering the time we once stole a truck full of dried beetles... and failed. "I say we do it."

"Wait a minute here, how do you expect us to accomplish this?" Points out Molly.

"I dunno, but that's the beauty of it... I think..."

"So you expect us to do this without a plan?"

"Exactly! So it's agreed then. We'll meet at the fish mart around 9:00 or so."

"But the plan..."

"Stop worrying so much. I'll figure it out you'll see."

"It's really hard to trust you right now."

"Well, I'd say it'd be rude not to."

I think for a moment before saying, "What's the worst that could happen?"

"Oh, I don't know... being caught, being arrested, somebody getting hurt, or even worst killed!"

"Hey, try to have some optimism okay?" Terry said.

"He doesn't even have a plan for crying out loud."

"Okay, look 'ere feisty, I told ye once now I'll tell ya twice. I'll figure it out. NOTHING to worry about."

"Fine but, it better be a good plan."

"Now that's more like it!" Mike now wore a goofy grin on his face. "How about we meet at the fish mart at around 9 or so. What do ye say Terry?"

"Sure, why not."

"Then it's settled. See ye guys there." Mike then began to walk away to wherever he spends his days and so does Terry leaving just me and Molly.

"Just sayin but I don't trust Mike and his 'plan' either."

"Thank you. Glad to know I'm not the only one who thinks this is insane."

"Well... Insane is kind of what we do. You know that."

"I know but, with the way things are now and the murder... I can't help but feel a bit more worried about us this time."

"I understand." I really do. These latest events are definitely adding more stress to our lives.

"I just hope everything goes without a hitch."

"Me too." Mike better have a good plan... "I'm gonna go Molly. See you tonight."

"Okay. Bye. Don't do anything stupid alright?"

"What are you talking about? That's all I ever do." I say with a smile before quickly turning away and leaving.


	3. Chapter 2

I just wanted to note that the last chapter has been revised (again). I added more detail plus the ending has been altered. I've also attempted to make the conversations more interesting.

I felt that I kind of rushed chapter 1 to be released so some of it just didn't feel right.

So please check that out if you are interested.

Finally gonna introduce some actual cuss words here...

I now present to you, Chapter 2.

(Note: revised 11/28/18)

Chapter 2

After leaving Molly, I make my way to the city center to see how I could kill some time.

Savannah Central lies at the center of the city. This means that it is probably the busiest part too. Mammals of all shapes and sizes roam the streets and buildings. Crowds of wildebeest flock the many shops along the main road.

I see straight ahead of me that there are a group of Elephants that seem to be opening up an ice cream parlor of some kind.

They quickly take notice of me. "Move along fox! We don't need your kind here!" one of them shouts.

"Yeah, yeah I know. Heard it before. Nobody likes a fox wandering off on his own..."

"Exactly!"

I usually enjoy spending my time here. Sometimes with my friends and sometimes without. Sure, speciest mammals are pretty common but at this point, that's just to be expected.

I let my mind wander a bit, wondering about what Molly mentioned earlier about the Hyena. To be honest, the more I think about it the more it doesn't really scare me. I mean it's obviously something that should be taken seriously but at the same time it was an isolated incident so nothing too major yet(I hope)

I keep walking down the street lost within my own thoughts when suddenly I run into someone. "Excuse me. Sorry about that." I say. I look to see that I have run straight into a rabbit. This might be a problem...

The grey rabbit quickly turns around and looks me straight in the eyes. "Hey watch it asshole! You got a problem with me or sonethin?! I'll have you know dat I ain't afraid of no fox!" He then quickly shoved me in the chest.

"You know, for such a little guy you can shove pretty hard..."

"You watch your mouth dammit!"

He begins to yell more and more profanities at me, but I'm not really listening. As he practically screams his little head off everyone begins to stare.

"Buddy, you look like your about to pop a blood vessel or somthin. It's really cute." One look at his face and I immediately knew I fucked up. Words cannot describe how his cold and dark gaze pierced daggers into the depths of my soul. "Ah, shit..."

His arm suddenly reeled back and I immediately knew what was happening.

I felt it before I even saw it coming. A sharp and searing pain quickly spreads throughout my lower jaw. I can taste blood and I feel one of my canines come loose.

"What did you just call me fox!"

He seemingly applied all of his bitterness into that one last word.

"I..."

"ANSWER ME!"

"I said... you look cute..." Instant regret...

He immediately pushes me to the ground and drives his heel straight into my gut. All I can do is groan as he walks away.

I finally notice the animals around me. I hear some say, "Well he sure learned his lesson." and other similar things, and there are a few who seem to be showing at least some minimal level of sympathy towards me.

I've been stuck on the ground for probably only 5 minutes or so but it still feels like hours, and everybody just walks on by like they don't even notice me. Like I'm just a small weed growing on the side of the road; nothing to take notice of...

Why didn't I just shut up... Would've made things much easier. I hope no children of mine inherit that...

Finally, after what seems like an eternity, somebody actually tries to help me up. I briefly brush my tail off and look to thank whoever helped me. He was a hippo dressed in blue. It took me a moment to realize that he was a cop. I quickly begin to feel panic bubble up from within me.

"Sir, just for the record I did absolutely nothing wrong okay. I am a good mammal and I-"

"Hey, hey calm down man. It's okay. I understand. I'm not here to arrest you or anything."

I suddenly feel puzzled. Cops usually aren't this nice to preds like me. They would usually assume that we are always up to no good.

"But why did you help me?"

"Because I'm just trying to make the world a better place when nobody else seems to be willing to."

An actual ZPD member who doesn't seem to be showing any speciesism towards me. All others have...

"Well thank you then I guess..."

Then with a sympathetic voice, he simply replied with, "Of course."

He looked as though he wished to say more, but he quickly turned and left.

I would be lying if I said that I wasn't confused. I was certainly skeptical of him at first but... I don't know. I don't know what to think. This is all way too confusing for me.

By now, the pain from that rabbit's kick has begun to subside. "The sucker sure can kick..." I mutter.

I continue to walk down the street though my jaw still aches from the angry rabbit when something catches my eye.

A group of young mammals are sitting in a flashy hot rod waiting at a red light right next to me. Flame decals run across its doors.

"Hey! I bet that car's just all show and no go!!" I yell. I instantly regretted it.

The driver, a young equine gave me an angry scowl and suddenly turned the corner driving straight into a muddy puddle, deliberately splashing me.

"WHAT THE!? HEY!!"

The driver sticks his tongue out at me and begins to laugh in a way that only a horse could as he drove off.

"I just did it again didn't I?" I say to no one in particular. "Dammit!" This is just great. My clothes are all muddy and soaking wet along with my fur. What am I gonna do about tonight? I have to get this washes off.

So I then run off in search of a way to get myself cleaned off. If only I could use that wash bucket Mike poured on me this morning... It could have actually been useful.

As I search I noticed an alley. Maybe I can find something in there! I quickly turn into the alleyway. It is actually pretty cramped here... I begin throwing around old pieces of plastic and bags in search of something, anything that may help me. As I toss everything around I revealed a small and blue plastic basin holding what I could only hope to be water.

"YES! FINALLY!"

I quickly take hold of it and I don't even hesitate to pour some of it over my body to rinse out the mud.

Even though some of the mud still clings to my red fur, I can't help but feel relief-

Wait... something putrid begins to fill my nostrils. I sniff for the source of the awful smell only to find that it was coming from me... and the basin. A sudden realization came to me... THAT. WAS. NOT. WATER.

My eyes grew in shock and horror. It was somebody's damn piss!

"NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! WHY THE HELL IS THAT EVEN THERE!!!!"

I scream out into the heavens in search of some holy spirit to release me from this vile state of being.

"GOD DAMMIT!!! FUCK!!!"

I can't take it! Isn't there anyone who could release me from my shame?!

My fur now reeks of vile liquid that I too hastily doused myself in. What are the guys gonna think when they smell me like this?

I shoot daggers towards the simple basin that has brought about my new misery and proceed to rip it to shreds with claws. When all that is left are small scraps of plastic I finally begin to calm down.

"Now what..."

The more I sit there, the more it dries on my fur leaving my scent tainted with the liquid.

Suddenly an unfamiliar cuts through my thoughts. "What the hell happened to you mate?" I look to see a dark-furred wolf enter the alley.

"You don't want to know..."

"You okay in there? Need help or somethin?" He suddenly stopped talking only for his nose to begin twitching. His eyes locked onto mine as he slowly began backing away until he eventually broke off into a run.

This is definitely not good...

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I spend the next few hours doing my best to hide from other mammals, especially those equipped with a strong sense of smell.

After way too many close calls, the sky begins to show signs of getting darker.

I check a nearby clock. Only 4 more hours and it's time. I am definitely not ready for this, and I smell like a skunks butt.

Already harassed and assaulted twice today, and doused in a bucket of somebody's piss...

What a fucking day. I can't avoid making stupid decisions for even one god damn second. I hate it. All of it.

I'm currently sulking away in another alley when I see something peculiar out in the street. There's a crowd of mammals marching in my direction down the street yelling and shouting. It took me a moment to realize that they were all predators. From the largest lions to even some shrews, there were so many here. They were all shouting the same thing...

"NOT AGAIN. NOT ANOTHER LIFE! CAROL WAS A MAMMAL TOO!" Carol, that must have been the name of the murder victim... and this is the riot Molly was talking about...

I've got to get out of here. I quickly get up and run down the street, away from the rioting predators, and eventually towards the border separating the districts. I look to the sky and see the sun getting low. I guess its time...

Gonna Note that this riot scene was originally in chapter 3 but I decided to move it here because I felt it made more sense this way.


	4. Chapter 3

Finally released this chapter. I had a plan in place for how I wanted this story to progress and I ended up scraping it like 2 times which resulted in this chapter is so late. So, of course, I would like to apologize and I hope to not take as long to update this story in the future.

Chapter 3

Sun is starting to get low now... Its golden radiance showering everything in sight. Its beauty greatly contrasts my earlier experiences today. I slowly bask in its orange glow as draw ever closer the border of the district. I've always been a sucker for sunsets. I used to just stare at them in awe from my old apartment window when I was a still a kit. The sunset casts an orange glow on the border wall as I approach it with a green duffel bag slung on my shoulder.

The city is supposedly replacing several parts of the wall into tundra town in order to add more power to the many generators that work to keep it cold. The section I'm at now is one of those places.

By now most of the workers have left, leaving behind a massive gap in the wall. It's actually quite easy to slip through without being noticed.

Because of the gaps in the walls; climate control and other system are kind of out of wack here near the border. It's almost as if the air can't decide whether it wants to be cold or not. I quickly slip into a jacket that I brought with me in my bag. Aside from keeping me warm, it'll hopefully mask some of my scents as I also changed some of my clothes earlier... Even from here I can still here the rioting.

"Let's get down to business... Shall we?"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Tundra town is actually quite different from the other districts as most of its population is actually comprised of predators. In other words, the people here are actually a lot more chill about preds like me wandering about. Definitely makes things easier for me.

As I wait for the rest of the gang, I decide to wait in a nearby restaurant. "Koslov's Palace... Well doesn't this place just ooze fun..."

Koslov's Palace is not a pleasant place; nor is the polar bear who runs the bar. Supposedly the son of Vladimir Petrov, the most loyal and trusted guard of Mrs. Big who runs one of the largest mafias in Zootopia. You do NOT mess around with these people.

The bar's inhabitants are always of the seedy bunch. There's got to be countless illegal acts being committed in this one room right now. With predators practically filling the room, I fit in quite nicely. I do my best to go unnoticed as I at a table in the corner. A seemingly young waitress, a curvy red vixen I must add, approaches me while also seeming to sway her hips.

"Anything you'd like mista?"

"I'm alright as I am."

"You sure there isn't anything ya might want?" This time she added a slightly more seductive tone to her voice.

" Um yeah. I'm sure. Really it's fine."

She slowly grew closer to me and added,

"Well let me just say that you seem to be quite the fine specimen if I do say so myself..."

"Oh.. Um... Thanks?"

"You know... I've been quite lonely lately... And I was wondering if maybe we could... have some fun..." as she said this she slowly approached me and suddenly what seemed like electricity surge through my body as she squeezed my thigh!

"You know what? I.. I have to use the restroom really quick.. sorry!" I immediately stood up and ram for the restrooms not daring to look back.

I finally relaxed as I was now in the safety of the men's restroom. "What the hell just happened!" I looked at myself in the mirror only to fog it up with my breath. I slowly begin to wonder what might have happened if I went along with it... NOPE NOT TODAY. DEFINITELY NOT NOW. I need to get out of here... quick.

I eventually find myself back outside in the cold to see that the sun has finally gone down. Still got a bit over an hour so... "John!"

My train of thought is suddenly interrupted and I turn around to see a very familiar white wolf. "Molly! Hey! Didn't expect to see you here this early."

"I could say the same to you."

Molly was wearing a fluffy parka. "Hey, where did you get that parka from? Never seen it before."

"A good magician would never tell her secrets."

"Oh, I bet I could get you to talk."

Molly held her arms in akimbo and replied, "Is that so?"

"Pretty sure. Yeah."

"Okay then... mind showing me how, right now?"

"Well, I um... I..."

"Exactly. I win again John."

A let out a sigh of defeat. "And so you did..." I do enjoy this playful banter we would have sometimes. Its different from the way I would joke with Mike. More... I don't know... just different.

"So what do we want to do now?" I asked.

"Well I mean, I was able to scrape some money together if you'd like to help me kill some time?"

I thought for a second and replied, "Great! Lets get going!"

Molly grasped my hand and began leading me through the district. After a while and a bit of decision making, we finally stopped at Clark Halibuts. "A snack before we go won't hurt anybody," Molly said happily. "They apparently have an all you can eat buffet today. Let's go!"

When we entered, I could immediately tell that this place was much friendlier than Koslov's. We then preceded to sit ourselves down in the predator's section. "Say, how much money do you actually have?" I ask.

"About 4 dollars or so."

"What! How did you do that?"

"A good magician would never reveal her secrets." She stated with a cheeky smile.

"Again?"

She nodded. "Yep."

We quickly got started on eating. It's been a while since I've been able to eat at a proper restaurant like this. Normally, I would just scavenge for food wherever I can find it. You learn really fast not to be picky. Having to scavenge for your food all the time means that sometimes you'll go days without a proper meal so you learn how to truly be hungry. Though recently we've been taking food from the abandoned warehouse as it was originally a packing house. Of course, indulging in "fancier" food like now definitely doesn't hurt anyone.

"You know, for advertising having an all you can eat buffet, there really isn't much of a buffet," Molly stated. And she's right. There really isn't much of a buffet here. It's actually really tiny; only serving 8 different trays at a time.

"I wonder how big the prey's side is," I say. "I bet it's enough food for a bear to live off an entire winter."

Molly replies to my statement by saying," I bet," She gave a moment of thought before saying, "It really doesn't make sense to me."

"How so?"

"I mean, why should the prey be treated as being so much better than us. Sure we're the minority but we should be able to share the same rights right?"

"They're afraid of us. It's as simple of that. By making us feel like we're inferior to them, we're suddenly not as scary." Its the truth. And sadly a truth that we have to experience nearly every day.

"I just wish we could do something about it. It's not like mayor Swinton is gonna do anything. He's a rotten ole pig himself!"

"I understand what you mean Molly, but there really isn't anything that we can do other than just live with it."

Molly allows a moment of silence to hang in the air before asking, "Are you really sure about that? Are you really sure that there isn't ANYTHING that we could do other than just stand by and watch this prejudice unfold?"

"Positive," I say. Though after everything she's been saying, I think I'm beginning to doubt myself...

We don't say much for the rest of the meal until we both finish and leave after paying.

"I wish things didn't have to be like this in Zootopia," Molly says.

"Me too."

Back in the eerie cold of the night, we see that it is nearly time and we decide to head to the fish mart. Once there we see that Terry and Mike have already arrived.

"Great! You all made it here alive!"

"C-Can we just get st-t-started already I'm practically freezing my tail off here." Says Terry who is noticeably shaking in the cold weather.

"So are the rest of us kid. Stop ye complained."

"Hey! J-Just because I-I'm the youngest, doesn't mean you can c-c-c-call me, kid!"

"Um, yeah I can _kid_ ," Mike replied, this time adding an emphasis to kid.

"I hate you..." Terry mumbled.

"Yeah, I think we all do," I say. "So Mike, do we start now or what?"

"Yes of course! Sorry for keepin ye guys waiting."

From here, Mike led us to the docks that lie at the edge of Tundra town. These docks can apparently be found at each of Zootopia's bordering districts, or so Mike says. "Okay, now here's the plan. See, I told ye I'd make one." He said, pointing his finger at Molly.

"Yeah, yeah, I know, just get on with already."

"Okay, here we go. So the plan is, Terry, I'm goin' to need ye to help be our spy; look out for us and keep us out o' trouble. If ye see somethin' make some bird noises or whatever."

"Bird noises? Where are there birds in frickin Tundra Town!?"

"I don't know, just think o' somthin'.

"Also, I'm ALWAYS the spy. Why can't I do anything else?"

"It's because your the smallest and most flexible one here kid."

"Doesn't help but, fine."

"Great! Now, for us big guys. Molly, you gonna be on the boat."

"Wait, what? Why?"

"Just let me finish alright? You see, this boat is run by wolves so you'll fit in perfectly. Even better, they don't even worry about work clothes too much! Just keep em away from where the fish is being taken from, and afterward, you can just slip away."

"Where are you taking fish from exactly?"

"Somewhere around the back of the ship."

"You know how many things that can go wrong with this right?"

"Just don't think about it. Now for John. I had practically all day to think dis through and I've decided that you and I are going to be the ones to take the fish."

"Together?"

"Together." I suddenly agree with Molly. "There's no way that this is gonna work man."

"Don't be such a party pooper, John. It'll be just fine and nobody is gonna gets hurt."

"I'm not convinced but, I'll try to trust you..."

"Great! So everyone knows their part ya?"

We all nod in agreement.

Mike gives us a wide toothy grin. "In that case, let's get this party started!"


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter four is finally here! Glad you guys didn't have to wait too long for this one. Most likely am going to revise small parts of it later. But for now, simply enjoy.

Chapter 4

It didn't take too long for everyone to get into position. Mike was right. Molly does fit right in with the rest of the wolves as they begin unloading while several polar bears await below the ship. In no time, Mike gives all of us the signal to begin. I can't help but notice that the entire ship reeks of raw tuna. With hundreds of pounds of fish supposedly on board in order to supply Zootopia and other large cities like Zootropolis.

"Okay, so how much do we need exactly?" I ask.

"We're gonna need at least three small crates."

"Three? Why would we need that much?"

"Just trust me. It'll be fine. In and out."

"In and out you say..." I mumbled under my breath.

We are swiftly able to make it to the back of the ship without any real problems. So far the crew of the ship hasn't come this way yet, and Molly is doing a swell job of keeping them away when needed. They don't even question her being there!

We eventually found three crates of appropriate sizes, or at least according to Mike anyways. I immediately noticed a problem. They seem too big to carry all at once. "Hey, Mike?"

"Yeah? What?"

"How exactly are we going to carry these?"

"Ummm, let's see. Well both take one off the ship and then I'll go back to get the last one."

"That's even more dangerous! Again, why do we need three? It can't be all that important right?"

He put an arm on my shoulder and said, "You don't understand. This IS important. I can't tell you right now but trust me when I say that it is."

"I-" What could possibly be so important about a third crate? "I trust you."

"Thank you. Now let's do this."

We each lifted one crate each to take off the ship and boy were they heavy. "How do you expect me to carry this!"

"Stop ye whining and get to work."

With some effort and the help of Molly, we were barely able to get these things off the ship.

"Two down, one more to go."

"Great! Let's go on to the next one then!"

"Wait a minute John. Hold ye horses. Just me this time. Don't ask why, but I don't want ye getting hurt."

"Well, what about you then huh? I'm going with you."

"I said just me!"

"But I-"

"Follow what I say dammit!" This time he said it with a shove to my chest. "There's something I need to do."

He then ran back to the ship before I could interject. Now we wait. Minutes begin to drag on and he still doesn't appear. I quickly located Terry and ran to his side.

"Why aren't you up there with him?" He asked.

"That's what I told him but he wouldn't listen."

We continue to wait and watch as the second's tick by. Suddenly Terry grabs my forearm frantically. "Look over there!" he exclaims while pointing. "I think someone might have gotten past Molly!"

I look to where he was pointing and I also see someone approaching the back of the ship. "Shit! This isn't good Terry."

"What should I do?! What do I do?!"

"Noises! Something! Anything!"

"Got it!"

Suddenly an unidentifiable sound comes from beside me!

"AROOAROR!! AROOAROR!!"

"What the fuck was that!!" I yell.

"It's a seal!"

"You call that a fucking seal?!"

"Oh I'm sorry, how about YOU try!"

I look back to see many workers look at where we're hiding. "Buddy, I think we're screwed."

Suddenly they all snap their heads back to the boat. I look to see Mike running off the ship, barely holding onto another crate of fish. He begins yelling at us frantically as he runs towards us along with Molly as they're being chased by a large wolf with something in his hands. Mike keeps on yelling but it is barely un-audible. "What?!"

This time he screams at the top of his lungs and says, "I said! He has a fuckin gun!"

Terry and I immediately both yell, "Oh shit!"

When Mike and Molly finally reach us we all begin to run through the snow frantically trying to escape the fuming wolf behind us as we all try to help carry the crates with difficulty.

Eventually, the wolf even begins to fire a few shots at us! "Run faster!!"

We all run for our lives trying to escape the angry predator and after too many close calls, he finally gave up and let us go.

As we all try to catch our breath, Mike is the first to speak. "What kind of a fucked up bird was that!"

"I'm so sorry! It was supposed to be a seal!"

"A fuckin seal?!"

"I didn't know what else to do!"

We all eventually just laid down in the white blanket of snow. "Mike, I think I speak for everyone when I say, we are never following your ideas again. Ever." Molly said.

"Fair enough."

After a while, we were able to get the fish back "home."

"Guys, I gotta take dis crate with me somewhere alrighty?"

I finally just noticed that the last crate is different from all the rest. It contains salmon.

"We went through all of that just for some salmon?" I asked.

"Don't worry about it, but yeah. We did."

"I'm too tired to argue with you right now..."

"Same here," Molly said.

"Me too," said Terry.

"Alrighty then. 'ow, about we do dis whole barbeque thing tomorrow night ay?"

"Agreed."

"Alright then. Good night everyone."

"Good night," we all said.

I slowly made my way back to my old bridge and laid down, thinking about today's events. I realize that nobody noticed my scent. Content, I begin to drift off into a dreamless slumber.


	6. Chapter 5

Hey guys and gals! Here for another chapter ay? I hope you all enjoy this one! (I know I did) ;-)

Chapter 5

Darkness, pure utter darkness envelops me; ever-changing. Changing into something... more, yet just out of reach growing seemingly closer ever so slowly. Comprehension is thrown to the wind, as everything is out of my mind's grasp.

An eternity passes in this strange darkness before it all seems to become comprehensible. This place, so devoid of light begins to form something familiar, yet alien. It's... Zootopia. The darkness is Zootopia.

I exist here in this twisted image of my home, endlessly floating through a sea of turmoil and shadows.

Then it all disappears, as though some powerful deity willed it so, and I am now left standing in the heart of the city surrounded by mammals the color of smoke and ash. They're all prey. Their forms undefined and shifting throughout the entire animal kingdom. I can feel both fear and hatred radiate from all as their eyes lock on me. Then a lone figure steps forwards from the crowd. A wolf; my friend. Molly.

She walks towards me. Molly slowly extends her paw in front of her palms up. I try to raise my own in order to grasp it, yet to no avail. I try again, and again yet she is always out of reach. Suddenly the scene changes again, and now everything that was around me is burning in a raging fire. Molly gives me a disgusted look of disappointment and turns to walk towards the flames. I muster all of my strength to call out to her though my voice falters. She continues to walk farther from me and closer to the flames as I try to call her back to me. Finally, she looks back one last time, her cold gaze piercing through my soul. And she finally steps into the billowing flames; the heat consuming her. Molly! Molly!

"Molly!" I wake up with my heart racing; my fur matted with sweat. I slowly begin to take in the world around me. The real world, and not that distorted nightmare.

I begin to take deep breaths in and deep breaths out. Doing my best to calm myself down and forget what I just saw. The air is cool and fresh; the trees decorated in oranges and reds. "What the hell was that?" I said in a whisper. Already the dream is all muddled in my memories.

I sit up on the old mangled mattress that I call a bed and begin to think to myself. Suddenly, memories of yesterday's previous events flood into my head. I briefly smell my shirt to find that a faint scent of urine still lingers. I decide to just leave it and move on. I quickly stand up only to suddenly feel that my body is sore and aching. "Damn it..."It's probably from last night.

I hope everybody else is awake already. From the looks of it, it seems to be around 8 o'clock or so. I take my usual path to the warehouse and see that I am the first one there. I sit down on a small wooden crate and began to contemplate. What the hell was I dreaming? It felt so different from others and so much more real than others. It probably means nothing, but if so, what? I continue to sit there, picking at my canines (which still ache) with my claws when I finally here footsteps approach me.

"Well look who got 'ere first ay?" stated Mike. "Ha, for the first time in forever huh?"

I can still smell the lingering scent of raw fish on his messy fur. "What did you do with the salmon from yesterday?"

"Okay, let me let ye in on a little secret here. Ye see I had some 'friends' help me find out about the whole shipment in Tundra town. So as a payment they told me about how there were also going to be crates of salmon on the ship too which they wanted. So afterward, I took it to them, and that's that. No fuss, no muss."

"Oh okay..." Mike has had other "friends" before. You see, they really weren't the most trustworthy and those worthless rats ended up scamming us. I really don't know if I should trust him with his new ones... "You know, you really don't have the best track record when it comes to making friends."

"Trust me I know what I'm doin' this time. Besides, I've always got you lot," answered Mike.

Mike and I continued to talk about last night's events for a while when both Molly and Terry arrived together. We ended up deciding to just eat some of the tuna now since we acquired so much, and it won't last forever. Through our breakfast together, we each discussed how we occupied ourselves while waiting for the ship to arrive.

Mike lavishly boasted and described how he ended up in a rather peculiar and questionable threesome much to Terry's embarrassment.

"Please stop talking like that dude! We all know that this really didn't happen!" exclaimed Terry.

"Well, it did happen! The Vixen I yell ya had the largest pair o' knockers I've ever laid my eyes on! Oh, how you wish you were all there!"

"Please just shut up Mike!" Molly said, rolling her eyes. "I don't think anybody wants to know about your fascination for breasts buddy."

"Oh, come on! I was just gettin' to the good part!"

"Sometimes you worry us, Mike."

Eventually, after more continuous talking and yelling at Mike to shut up, I finally decide to open up about my day. "...So then I happen to accidentally run into a rabbit. This is where things started to go downhill. He started shoving me around and yelling at me..."

"Oh, I bet ye gave him the beatin' that he deserved am I right?"

"Ummm. No." I then began explaining how I eventually called the sucker cute and ended up taking a beating for it. At this point, Mike began laughing absolutely hysterically.

"Ye mean to tell me, that a little cute rabbit beat ye into the ground? This is absolutely amazing! Best stuff I've heard in years! Ha-ha!"

I continued to layout my day including that random bucket of urine which brought up hysterical laughter from everyone. This mood shifted the moment I got to the riot and, suddenly the tuna wasn't so appetizing.

"I told you it would happen," Molly said solemnly, "Now things can only get worse from here."

"Well, it might not get that bad," Mike said sheepishly.

"But it will Mike. Every time something like this happens, it gets worse. We have a dumbass piece of bacon for a mayor. He's most likely going to see something like this as a possible threat to him since he's another prey himself. He's gonna do something about it and, who knows what that would mean for predators as a whole. Remember were all predators here too," She spoke with a fire rarely seen by anyone, "I just- I'm just so sick and tired of having to go through all of this and having to take all of their bullshit!"

"We all are Molly," I say, "But like I said yesterday, there really isn't anything that we could do that won't make it worse."

"You ALWAYS say that. Every time. And I don't believe it. Not anymore. There HAS to be something that we can do."

"I... Molly calm down. Please."

Her voice began to break. "They've just caused us so much pain... to all of us, and you know it. My- my mother, she was the best. The absolute best. She did what she could to make me see the positive side to everything and to always ignore the hate. She always saw the positives when I couldn't. But she's gone now because of THEM. It's because of THEM, that she couldn't receive the help she needed when she became ill... The hospitals and everyone who could have saved her life turned her away. All because they couldn't trust her. Because they believed that she was a liar. John, I had to slowly watch her die when I was only seven years old. Seven years... and I know that I'm not the only one. So don't go telling me that there isn't something that we can do!"

"Molly I-"

"Maybe those animals rioting were doing the right thing. Maybe the only way to change this is to show all of them that we won't stand by any longer and fight back."

"Is this really what you want to do?" asks Terry, deep concern in his voice.

Very quietly, Molly finally answers, "I don't know..."

Mike puts a comforting arm around her shoulder and says. "Well no matter what, we'll be here for ye. Right guys?"

"Right."

"...Thank you guys...I...I'm sorry. I think I just got carried away and-"

"Don't feel sorry. You have every right to feel this way. Just don't let it consume you..." I tell her.

"Can we just move on to something else?" she asks in a whisper.

"Of course we can," says Terry.

The next hour is filled with more stories of the previous day with even more laughter; drastically improving the mood but, deep down I can't seem to shake Molly's words. I keep on wondering if what she said was right and if we should fight back. I can see how it could work, but I could also imagine how it wouldn't work and the bloodshed that could result from it. I shudder at the thought.

The more and more that I think about her words, the more that I realize that a possible uprising may be inevitable. Could I be apart of that? Would I be willing to fight if such an insurrection were to occur? The prospect is chilling. But then I look around and begin to ask myself, _what if my friends were to take part?_ I could never see Terry or Mike join in on such a thing but Molly... She probably has every reason to feel that she should join and, that probably scares me more than anything else. I can't lose her. Or anyone else for that matter.

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The rest of the day is pretty uneventful actually. This is mainly because we couldn't decide on anything to do and, it ended up being pretty boring for the most part. By sundown, we were all so tired from doing nothing that we all just decided to call it a day.

I then make my way to my old mattress and finally lay down, using my jacket and duffel bag as a pillow and blanket. This morning's conversation still haunts me but even so, I finally begin to drift off into sleep in no time.


	7. Chapter 6

Hi everybody! It's me again! (who else would it be...) I guess it's worth mentioning that I've added to the prologue a bit, but it's only a small change. I would like to thank BrutusDeagon for editing for me. It means a lot. Go ahead an check out his stories. They're definitely worth the time. Now, without further ado, here is chapter 6.

Chapter 6

Days begin to fly by. Days turn into weeks, and weeks turn into months. Even so, nothing seems to change about Zootopia. It... No... It's changed alright. It's getting worse. Much worse.

Predator riots are beginning to pop up all over the city. The more that form, the more violent they get. As of last month, Mayor Swinton has ordered the police to arrest any predators suspected of participating in these riots, but this hasn't stopped them from forming, however. It has only slowed them down and they're not stopping.

As of two weeks ago, there was a second confirmed death of a tiger who was rioting down by Woody Slopes. Shot and killed by law enforcement.

Molly says that this is just the beginning of the end. I'm slowly beginning to believe that now...

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Today I've decided to head up to the Rainforest District. It's the district with probably the least amount of riots so far, and I need time to just think. Think about all the craziness of life here.

Our meetings at the old warehouse have begun to end the same just about every single time. We always decide that it would be best to try and not get ourselves into any trouble due to the whole predator, prey relationship being so fragile nowadays.

Things just aren't the same anymore. They probably won't be for a while. This is hurting everybody in some way or form. Molly seems to be growing more and more distant every day, and Mike's liveliness and humor are beginning to fade. And Terry... he just isn't the same anymore. None of us are. He was actually by Woody Slopes when the shooting happened. I'm beginning to wonder how much longer our relationship can stay strong before it all comes crashing down on top of us...

With how hectic life's been, I really need time to relax. As I walk underneath the green and lush canopy, I can't help but notice a rather large painted wooden sign. It said, "Discover the all-new Sky-tram! 60 miles of fun and relaxation!"

Fun and relaxation huh? Hardly any of that left anymore...

The sky-tram is only a few minutes away so by the looks of it so I quickly head over there. I'm there in no time. As each of the cable cars passes by, I climb on to one with minimal difficulty. I rest against the cold metal rail at the front and begin to just think to myself. Being here alone, leaning on the front rail, suspended in the air, the soft wind blowing against my fur, is so peaceful, and it allows me to finally clear my head a bit. It truly is relaxing.

Minutes, maybe even hours, pass by. My eyes close, and I let out a slow breath of air, relaxing my system.

There's nothing to disturb me up here although, for just a moment, the car becomes a bit wobbly.

"I really need to come here more often," I say aloud.

"Apparently so do I!"

I'm suddenly startled by the newcomer. I look over to see that a badger has joined me on the gondola. It looks like I just passed another station. Who the hell... wait a minute... that can't be possible... Could it really be him? Grey fur, amber eyes, it has to be...

"Se- Sebastian?"

"In the flesh old friend." He seems to look almost exactly the same as the last time I saw him, though now his voice is rougher.

"No way. It can't- is it really you? Surely not." It's getting harder to contain my excitement.

"John, have I really changed that much after all these years? You obviously haven't. Still, as clueless as always, I see."

"My God, it is you!"

I rushed towards him into a tight embrace. Sebastian, my first real friend, and I, together again at last.

"You can let go now," he says.

I pulled away and asked, "It's been like three years now, right? Since we last met I mean."

"Indeed, it has. Far too long..."

After I lost both of my parents, I was lost, confused. I didn't know what I was supposed to do. I didn't know how to survive, but then, I met Sebastian. We learned to survive together. We became brothers... We did so much with each other. He helped me become who I am today. I could never forget that fateful day when we first met all those years ago...

"I can't do this..." As I lean against the cold and wet brick wall of the alleyway, silent drops of water slowly run down my face. Rain from the storm perhaps? No. Tears... This storm; just a reflection of the uncertainty inside of me. The heavy sound of falling rain hitting the asphalt drowns out all other noise, only increasing the sense of loneliness that I feel.

"Mom... why did you have to leave me too?"

My fur is now soaked with water as I stand here without protection from the unrelenting rain. Tears continue to flow as I feel helpless to do anything.

"I tried so hard. I tried to survive, but I don't think that I can do this anymore... I'm so sorry..."

I've finally given up... I've tried and I've tried to make things work but they just can't. I don't want things to end like this but, I don't see anything else that I can do. It's all pointless now.

I finally lay down against the wall. "So cold..." I grab nearby trash bags to wrap myself in and hopefully offer me at least some protection from the elements. I curl up into a ball, and after some time, I finally begin to drift off into sleep.

When I wake up, it's hard to tell how long I've been asleep but, it still seems to be the same day. The rain has stopped and I can see the clouds begin to part. With some level of difficulty, I am able to sit up. I'm shaking from the cold and its hard to stand myself up. Ultimately I fail. I'm left to just sit here and contemplate my life so far. I've lost my home, my father, my mother, and now, I've lost my will to survive...

I hear a slight commotion from just outside the alley and turn my head to look. I see a young black badger enter the alley. He seems to be about my age if not older. He quickly takes notice of my presence.

He gives me a frustrated look and begins to yell. "Hey! This is my alleyway bud. So beat it!"

I've dealt with enough already...

"Well, I don't see any names anywhere. Besides, why would anyone want to own an alleyway anyways?" I answer.

He's obviously annoyed by my reply and says, "You're just another lame kid, foxy boy. Now I already said that you can go beat it!"

I give it one last go and say, "You're just another kid as well now aren't you?"

"Alright, I've had enough of this."

He began to quickly walk towards me while also reaching out to grab me.

"Please, I'm sorry!" I began to feel myself crumble once more and begin to desperately apologize for not leaving when he suddenly stopped in his tracks. I looked up and he was just staring at me. Almost as though looking into my soul. Then, slowly but surely, he reached out with his paw. I looked back at his face for a moment, the comforting warmth of the sun greeting us, before finally raising my own to grasp it.

He then said to me, "First rule of living off the streets; Don't let anyone see that they get to you."

And with that, a new friendship was born.

"So tell me, what have you been up to in these past two years huh?" I ask him.

"That would be a long story for another time but an abridged version would be that I've found a new way of life per se," he answers.

"There's so much that I want to talk about. I- Hey, you should come back with me and meet my friends!"

"I would love to, but I'm kinda busy."

I'm slightly surprised by that last statement. "You, busy. Really?"

"I've got a bit of a job to do now, but... I guess it wouldn't hurt for me to tag along with you for a bit."

"Really? Great! I- I'm just so happy to see you again."

"Same here..." Enthusiastically, he says, "Well, let's not waste any more time here than we need to. Let's get a move on!"

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We ended up taking the gondola to Sahara Square where we finally disembarked. We spent the rest of the way trying to catch up with each other's lives. I told him about some of the crazy stunts that we've pulled off, including when we stole those fish from the ship. Sebastian and I used to do things like that but never anything as large as that. In a short time, we finally arrive at the old warehouse.

"...and this is where I've been spending my days," I say.

He gave a quick survey of the place and then said," Well, this is... nice..."

"Hey, I know it's not much but it works perfectly well for everyone," I said smiling.

"Okay then... So, where are these friend of yours?" he asked. "I'm very interested in meeting them."

"Out and about the city. They should all get back just before sundown though. That's sorta protocol by now, I guess. They should be getting here pretty soon."

"Great! So how about you just tell me a bit about your friends as we wait?"

"Yeah! Sure, why not?"

"Splendid..." he said with a grin.

I start by telling him about how we all originally met. Probably about 5 months after Sebastian and I parted ways, I was actually doing fine, making hustles here and there, whether it was for food, money, or anything else for that matter. I remember how I had just gotten 5 dollars off of an elk. I was genuinely surprised by how well it went.

As I walked down the frigid streets of Tundra Town, I could hear a commotion in an alleyway coming up in front of me. At first, I just ignored it. Mammals tend to go dumpster diving a lot. But, as I drew near, I could immediately tell that it was no dumpster diver. Curiosity took over and I cautiously began to approach. When I got close enough, I peered my head around the corner to see what was going on.

There was a large, older black wolf in old clothing, much like mine, at the back. He was facing away from me, seeming to be struggling with something. When I got closer, I could instantly see what was happening, and it definitely scared me.

The older wolf was sexually assaulting a smaller female white wolf, or at least he was trying to. My immediate thought was to go and help her. But as I began to approach, things changed. The white one suddenly drove her heel straight into her assaulter's groin, causing him to howl in agony. While he was clutching onto his groin, the white wolf drew her knee straight into his stomach, putting him on the ground. She then brushed herself off and walked out of the alleyway, hardly giving me a second glance.

I watched her walk off and all I could think was, "damn... she's got some moves huh?"

As I turned to look back at the other wolf, I saw him slowly getting up, and he looked angry. When he finally recovered, he pulled a small knife out of his pants and gave a mad dash towards the female wolf.

"Look out!" I shouted, but I saw that it was too late. So without even thinking, I lunged at him, tackling him to the ground, and I wrestled the knife out of his hand. I cast it to the side and punched him straight in the jaw, knocking him out cold.

It all went so fast that I didn't truly realize what I was doing until I threw that last punch.

Breathing heavily, I looked over to see the other one just staring at me before saying, "Thank you, really, but I think I could've handled myself."

I was honestly astonished. There was no way that she could've stopped him! Her back was turned the whole time, and she didn't even notice until I yelled at her.

"Hey! There was no way that you could have prevented him from stabbing you. You didn't even realize that he was running at you until I told you. I just saved your life here," I said to her.

"I know you might have just saved my life. And again, thank you. But I'm not just some damsel in distress alright. I can handle myself just fine all alone as you probably saw earlier. I've been doing so for almost 7 years now. I don't need anyone's help."

"I just... umm... I guess so..."

"There you go."

I thought for a moment then as she was turning to leave I asked, "Hey, what's your name exactly?"

She turned back around and answered by saying, "Molly. My name is Molly."

"That's a great name." I'm finally able to get a good look at her face. Her eyes are a deep sapphire blue, probably from some sort of genetic defect, that greatly compliments her white fur. I also notice a thin grey line of fur running across both sides of her muzzle, almost asymmetric.

"Thanks. A great mammal gave it to me," she replied, before finally walking off.

"Looks to me that she can handle herself quite well," Sebastian stated matter-of-factly.

"She's always been able to. She's been through a lot."

"Haven't we all?" he replied, reminding me of what I had gone through growing up.

After a moment he says, "I do look forward to meeting her."

Before Sebastian and I could say anything more, however, I catch a glimpse of Molly returning. It takes her a moment, but when she notices Sebastian, she cautiously asks, "John, does this happen to be a friend of yours you haven't told us about yet?"

"Sebastian, meet-"

He immediately cuts me off and stands up. "Why hello there! You must be Molly I presume?" He asks, reaching out to shake her hand. "My name is Sebastian Dryden. I'm an old friend of John's."

Molly," She replied, ignoring his hand. Then, looking towards me, she says, "You and I are gonna need to talk later."

"Right... Nice to meet you too," Sebastion replies. Turning to me he asks, "One down, two more to go. Am I correct?"

"Yeah, we still got to wait for Mike and Terry to show."

"Probably late, as usual, I imagine," Molly adds.

"Alright then! That'll work just fine! So how about I tell you the story about how John and I met?"

That's all for now. I'm gonna be taking a bit of a break from writing as life is starting to get busier and I need to prioritize. I'm sure you guys can understand.

Bye for now!


End file.
